How to get product to prioritize a SOC audit control

To get product to prioritize an audit control, present it as business risk rather than a technical matter: what happens if the control stays incomplete (a qualified audit opinion) and what contractual consequences follow (penalties or discounts from key clients). When risk is translated into the language of the business, priority tends to realign itself.

What was the conflict?

Product was planning to build a new roles feature the following month. Without it, segregation of duties wouldn't be complete before the annual SOC audit. The pre-audit review had already flagged as medium-high risk that first-level support held excessive administrator permissions.

How was the risk presented?

In actionable terms: incomplete control → possible qualified opinion in the SOC report → contractual grounds for important clients to demand penalties or discounts. That causal chain is something product can weigh; "we need to close the access control" is not.

What was the outcome?

Product moved the change into the current sprint and delivered it on the agreed schedule. The control closed before the audit and the SOC opinion came out clean, with no exceptions.

And if product hadn't budged?

The next step was to escalate to leadership: a contractual commitment with penalty risk isn't a negotiable roadmap preference. Defining in advance when and to whom you escalate is what keeps that conversation operational instead of political.

Checklist for your team

Prioritize changes tied to audit controls (SOC, ISO) with their contractual risk made explicit. Review segregation of duties and support administrator permissions before the pre-audit. Align with product on what "success" means before discussing dates. And define in advance when and to whom you escalate if there's no agreement.

Frequently asked questions

What is segregation of duties? It's separating responsibilities and permissions so that a single person or role can't both execute and approve critical actions. It's a common control in SOC and ISO 27001 audits.

What is a qualified opinion? It's an audit result that flags exceptions or controls that didn't operate as expected, and it can affect client confidence and contractual commitments.